SYLLABUS: PRE-COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING - 2014
Greene County Correctional Facility
Instructor: Ms. Saunders
Class: Fri. 12:30-2:30pm
“Style takes its final shape more from attitude of mind than from principles of composition, for, as an
elderly practitioner once remarked, ‘Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.’ This moral
observation would have no place in a rule book were it not that style is the writer, and therefore what you
are, rather what you know, will at last determine your style. If you write, you must believe—in the truth
and worth of the scrawl, in the ability of the reader to receive and decode the message. No one can write
decently who is distrustful of the reader’s intelligence, or whose attitude is patronizing.”
-The Elements of Style 4th ed. Strunk & White (84)
"So an essay is to try. That's all. An attempt. An effort to get some little bit or chunk of thought into
writing."
-Writing Life Stories Bill Roorbach (61)
REQUIRED TEXTS:
--The Elements of Style, William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
--Supplemental texts to be provided throughout the course
SCHEDULE:
February 7 - Course Introduction
Assignments:
--Read “Letting Go” by David Sedaris.
--Read “Part I: How to Not Write Bad: The One-Word Version”.
--Write personal statement.
February 14th – SNOW DAY
February 21st – NO CLASS
February 28th – How to Start a Narrative Essay
Assignments:
--Write 4-6 beginnings to possible narrative essays.
--Read "Once More to the Lake" by E.B. White.
March 7th - The Narrative Essay (cont’d) – Shortened Class Period
Assignments:
--“Once More to the Lake” Response Questions
March 14th –Narrative Essay (end)/The Definition Essay
In Class Writing: Successful Writing Response
Assignments:
--Write narrative essay.
--Read “What Is Love?”
March 21st - The Definition Essay (cont'd)
In Class Reading: “Kindness” Essay Outline
In Class Exercise: Group Definition Task
Assignments:
--Write 3-5 definition essay topic proposals.
--“Dialogue Punctuation Exercise”
--Read “Before the Law” by Franz Kafka
March 28th - Definition Essay
In Class Reading: “Poverty” Essay
Assignments:
--Write a definition essay.
April 4th – Grammar/Format Review
In Class Handout: “Action Verbs in Writing Prompts”, “Direct vs. Indirect Dialogue”
In Class Assignment: Group Dialogue Exercise, “Commonly Confused Words”
Assignment:
--None.
April 11th – Persuasive-Definition Essay
In Class Writing: Response to the definition essay process.
In Class Reading: “Uniforms Reduce Problems”
Assignments:
--Write a persuasive-definition essay.
April 18th – How to Read a Poem/Definition Poetry
In Class Readings: “What is Poetry?”, “She Had Some Horses” by Joy Harjo and “A Fighter
Learns of Hands” by Charles Ghigna.
Assignments:
--Write a definition poem.
--Write a progress essay.
--Read “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver.
April 25th - NO CLASS
May 2nd – Poetry Reading/Discussion
Assignment:
--Read “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank” by Nathan Englander
May 9th – Compare & Contrast Essay
In Class Assignment: Character Venn Diagrams for “Love”
May 16th – Compare & Contrast Essay (Cont’d)
In Class Assignment: Venn Diagram Comparing/Contrasting Characters from “Love” and “Anne
Frank”
Assignments:
--Read “Neighbors” by Raymond Carver
--Write an outline for a potential compare/contrast essay
May 23rd – Composition Review
In Class Reading: Sample compare/contrast essay
Assignments:
--Sentence Structure Exercise
May 30th - NO CLASS
June 6th – Argument Essay
In Class Reading: Sample argument essay
In Class Assignment: Identify the thesis and supporting points in the essay
Assignment:
--Write a compare/contrast essay.
June 13th – NO CLASS
June 20th – Argument Essay: Using Sources
In Class Reading: Articles on college in prison
Assignment: Write an outline for an argument essay
June 27th – Argument Essay: Counterarguments
In Class Assignment: Debate
Assignment: Write an argument essay.
July 4th – NO CLASS
July 11th – Computer Lab
July 18th – Computer Lab
--Turn in typed draft of argument essay.
July 25th – Final Computer Lab
--Turn in final draft of argument essay.
August 1st – Professional Writing Tips
In Class Reading: Sample Cover Letter
Assignment: Write a potential cover letter
August 8th – No CLASS
August 15th – Review/Last Class
In Class Assignments: Self Review and Course Review